The present invention relates to humidifier apparatus for sterilizing bacilli and more particularly to such a humidifier for altering the alkalinity of water in the water tank to completely sterilize it and to automatically remove scale on the internal wall of the water tank to extend the life of the spray elements including the vibrator and other elements of the humidifier.
Humidifiers of the type disclosed herein are commonly used in rooms for a baby, infant, patient, the old and infirm to maintain the moisture of the room at a given level. However, there is considerable concern relating to the introduction of diseases, and especially infectious diseases, because the jets of moisture emitted by the humidifier are not completely sterilized to remove any bacillus contained therein.
In humidifiers of the type specified herein, water is ordinarily essentially vaporized and then sprayed into the atmosphere through a nozzle by a rotating vibrator element. Thus, as the water in the humidifier tank contains a large quantity of bacilli, the water jetted from the nozzle will contaminate the air in the room with the bacilli present in the water. The inhalation of such contaminated air by the patient can result in the patient being infected by the bacilli. Moreover, the bacilli in the water tank of the humidifier may also contaminate the internal walls thereof as well as the vibrator, which contamination further contributes to the fouling of the air in the room when the humidifier emits moisture. Additionally, the transparent water tank becomes unsightly when the contaminated water adheres to its internal sides. The accumulation of contaminants on the various parts of the humidifier, and particularly the vibrator, causes a loss in the effectiveness of the humidifier to dispense moistened water, as well as to shorten the life of the humidifier.
Aside from the undesireable spreading of contaminants by means of the moistened water emitted from the humidifier, the contamination in the form of "fur" adhering to the various elements of the humidifier necessitates that the inside of the humidifier and its various components require frequent cleaning.